Tertsch, Messias Win Valencia World Cup
After strong podiums at WTCS Hamburg (3rd) and at the Pontevedra World Cup (2nd), Germany’s Lisa Tertsch prevailed in a three-way battle with Mexico’s Anahi Alvarez Corral and Leonie Periault of France at World Triathlon Cup Valencia. Tertsch finished the sprint distance test in 55:17 with a 2 seconds margin over Alvarez and 7 seconds over third place Periault om a hot and humid day on the Spanish coast.
“The run was interesting!’ Tertsch told World Triathlon media. “ I was telling myself ‘I can do it, and just do my best’ – and with that I was able to run pretty freely.” “I was happy we were three and not four to be honest, and I felt like I could give it a go. But even at the last turn it was really close so I just gave it my all to get there.”
Alvarez scored her first World Cup podium and Periault found her best after a period of off form.
Women's Race Recap
Race number one Kirsten Kasper lined up on the far left of the pontoon with teammate Summer Rappaport and Nina Eim of Germany to gain a more direct line to the first buoy. The American duo led by Rappaport’s 9:16 split were first out.
Mathilde Gautier of France, Maryna Kyryk of Ukraine and Maria Santamaria Surroca of Spain were also flying as the leaders emerged into transition. But Rappaport, Santamaria and Gautier were onto the bikes first – riding solo. The trio didn’t stay out alone for long, as Ainsley Thorpe of New Zealand, Jolien Vermeylen of Belgium and Sara Vilic pf Austria joined them and forming a big front pack of 20 athletes,
Bike racked right beside Kasper, Tertsch immediately bounded out of transition while the American struggled with her shoes, Switzerland’s Nora Gmur, Charlotte McShane of Australia and Annika Koch of Germany were next on the chase .Up ahead Tertsch was gliding smoothly along with Periault and Alvarez. By the time they approached the bell there was daylight for Tertsch, Periault and Alvarez.
From that halfway mark of the run, the trio kept extending their advantage and it became a three-way battle for the medals.
Tertsch attacked first, with just over a minute to go as the sharp turn onto the blue carpet approached. Alvarez responding, but in the final 180 meters the German’s stride lengthened to take the tape from the Mexican, Periault in third.
Valerie Barthelemy won the chase for fourth from Mathilde Gautier, Rappaport and Hauser.
Women's Race Results
1. Lisa Tertsch (GER) S 9:34 T1 00:38 B 28:11 T2 00:27 R 16:27 TOT 55:17
2. Anahi Alvarez Corral (MEX) S 10:07 T1 00:38 B 27:47 T2 00:28 R 16:19 TOT 55:19
3. Leonie Periault (FRA) S 9:38 T1 00:39 B 28:10 T2 00:29 R 16:28 TOT 55:24
4. Valerie Barthelmy (BEL) S 9:37 T1q 00:39 B 28:07 T2 00:30 R 16:48 TOT 55:41
5. Mathilde Gautier (FRA) S 9:17 T1 00:42 B 28:26 T2 00:31 R 16:47 TOT 553
6. Summer Rappaport (USA) S 9:16 T1 00:39 B 28:42 T2 00:31 R 16:37 TOT 55:45
7. Julia Hauser (AUT) S 9:42 T1 00:39 B 28:02 T2 00:30 R 16:54 TOT 55:47
8. Noelia Juan (ESP) S 9:49 T1 00:39 B 27:58 T2 00:31 R 16:53 TOT 55:50
9. Marlene Gomez-Göggel (GER) S 9:33 T1 00:38 B 28:L15 T2 00:30 R 16:59 TOT 55:55
10. Gina Sereno (USA) S 9:48 T1 00:43 B 28:05 T2 00:33 R 16:48 TOT 55:57
14. Kirsten Kasper (USA) S 9:25 T1 00:40 B 28:17 T2 00:35 R 17:09 TOT 56:06
56. Madisen Lavin (USA) S 9:29 T1 00:44 B 28:27 T2 00:36 R 00:21:07 TOT 1:00:23
Men's Race Recap
Manoel Messias topped Mario Mola by 18 seconds on the ride, Mola’s run was just 16 seconds better – so the victory went to the Brazilian
Brazil’s Manoel Messias was on a mission on a steamy Saturday evening in Valencia, flying clear towards the tail end of the 20km bike with just Tjebbe Kaindl for company before laying down a huge challenge to the rest of the field on the run that not even the mighty Mario Mola could answer.
It had been a fine return for Spain’s three-time World Champion, who looked on several occasions to have the Brazilian within range, before Messias summoned a valiant final kilometer. Mola’s 5km split of 14::22 was the fastest of the day but only narrowly quicker than that of a resurgent Matthew McElroy (USA) who safely found his way back to the podium for the first time since being beset by injury.
“I’m very happy with today,” said the Valencia gold medallist. “The race was very fast but I was feeling good on the bike and the run, I was ready to attack on the bike, so I’m just very happy.”
David Castro Fajardo of Spain led the men’s swim in Valencia Harbor, but by the first lap of the flat and fast bike course, 35 athletes were separated by just 7 seconds. Manoel Messias and Tjebbe Kaindl of Austria attacked on the 4th and final lap and reached T2 with a lead of 12 seconds over a massive chase group. Messias is a World class runner and there was no mystery when he dropped Kaindl when the running shoes were on.
Behind Messias was a veritable Spanish Armada – Antonio Serrat Seoane, Mario Mola and David Castro Fajardo – chasing. The only non home-country competitor with a chance of breaking into the podium was Matthew McElroy of the U.S,.
Serrat Seoane went on a kamikaze mission to bridge up to the shoulder of Messias. But fell immediately back to Mola and McElroy.
Messias, the World Junior Champion in 2015, temporarily seemed to have the race under control. But Mola went on a frenzied chase trying to make the home country crowd go nuts, leaving McElroy and Serrat Seoane in his wake.
With just 1500m to go Mola found another gear to go through his compatriot as McElroy tucked in on their shoulders, then the former World Champion went all in to pull clear in second, but simply ran out of real estate.
Mola, seeming back on his invincible run, fell just 4 seconds short of Messias’ 50:14 winning time. McElroy finished third in in 50:25
Encouraging effort, Mola was satisfied with his runner-up finish. “It was great for me to feel like I’m competitive again,” he told World Triathlon media. “I think I’ve still got a long way to go, but I’m on the right path.”
Men's Race Results
1. Manoel Messias (BRA) S 8:56 T1 00:36 B 25:37 T2 00:27 R 14:38 TOT 50:14
2. Mario Mola (ESP) S 8:58 T1 00:36 B 25:55 T2 00:27 R 14:22 TOT 50:18
3. Matthew McElroy (USA) S 8:55 T1 00:37 T1 25:57 T2 00:27 R 14:39 TOT 50:25
4. Antonio Serrat Seoane (ESP) S 8:42 T1 00:34 B 26:15 T2 00:24 R 14:39 TOT 50:34
5. David Castro Fajardo (ESP) S 8:30 T1 00:36 B 26:21 T2 00:26 R 14:55 TOT 50:48
6. Alberto Gonzalez Garcia (ESP) S 8:34 T1 00:36 B 26:16 T2 00:22 R 15:01 TOT 50:49
7. Gianluca Pozzatti (ITA) S 8:38 T1 00:36 B 26:12 T2 00:26 R 14:59 TOT 50:51
8. Arnaud Mengal (BEL) S 8:45 T1 00:37 B 26:10 T2 00:25 R 14:55 TOT 50:52
9. Roberto Sanchez Mantecon (ESP) S 8:55 T1 00:35 B 25:56 T2 00:25 R 15:02 TOT 50:53
10. Bence Bicsák (HUN) S 8:42 T1 00:38 B 26:12 T2 00:27 R 14:55 TOT 50:54
45. Austin Hindman (USA) S 8:53 L1 00:36 B 26:06 T2 00:30 R 16:49 TOT 52:54
50. Marc Dubrick (USA) S 8:38 T1 00:41 B 26:10 T2 00:31 R 17:40 TOT 53:40
51. Davis Bove (USA) S 9:13 T1 00:34 B 28:27 T2 00:28 R 15:19 TOT 54:15
